Nothing is new under the sun: part 2


Khoren I Muradbekyan: Catholicos of All Armenians was elected in 1932. From the day of the election, he was under the control of punitive bodies. During the investigation of the clergy, the task was to collect discrediting information about him and put pressure on the Catholicos. First, the Catholicos' brother, Levon Muradbekyan, was arrested and shot. The same fate befell his other brother, Sergey Muradbekyan, an employee of the Margara customs house. In 1938, Muradbekyan, Catholicos of All Armenians, also became a victim of terrorism organized by the authorities, being killed in the Veharan.
Source: RA Ministry of Internal Affairs, National Archives and National Archives
 

Armenia has chosen the winner of the prestigious Goncourt literary prize


Last year, Armenia selected its laureate of the prestigious Goncourt literary prize, French-Rwandan writer and singer Gael Fay, for his new novel Jacaranda. With this, Armenia officially became the 39th country to join the international Goncourt selection with its student jury and gain the opportunity to participate in global literary processes. At the Francofest, which will take place on November 15, Nymeg will present the Armenian edition of Jacaranda. Anahit Margaryan spoke with Ani Hakobyan, head of literary programs at Nymeg Publishing House, and Manu Iritsyan, responsible for multimedia content, about the Goncourt prize, Gael Fay’s bestseller, Francofest, books, printing, and literary marketing at Artfocus.

About one story: Hrant Matevosyan, "The Dogs"


Hrant Matevosyan's story "Dogs" is among his "youthful" works and is somewhat different from the other famous works of the Armenian prose master. The writer uses remarkable stylistic devices here, makes subtle references to other works of Armenian and world literature. Hrant Matevosyan's story "Dogs" is discussed on the "Parallel Readings" program by literary critics Hayk Hambardzumyan and Arkmenik Nikoghosyan.

Nothing is new under the sun: part 1


The Bolshevik authorities launched an active struggle against the church with the church opposition called the “Free Church Brotherhood”. They declared themselves church reformers: they demanded the abolition of the hierarchal order of the Armenian Church, the class of high-ranking spiritual authorities, the order of celibacy, the abdication of the Catholicos of All Armenians and the election of a new Catholicos, who would be “of the people”, finally, “return the church to the believers” and limit the Armenian Church to the borders of Soviet Armenia. The task set before them was, in particular, to collect false accusations against the monks of St. Etchmiadzin and to forge manuscripts. The St. Gregory the Illuminator Church in Yerevan was given to the “Free Church Brotherhood” by the decision of the City Council. This sect did not have a long life. Its leader, Bishop Ashot Shakhyan, in 1927, before his death, wrote a petition to Catholicos Gevorg V, where he confessed the wrongness of his step and asked to return his title. The defrocked bishop dies in solitude, abandoned even by his political patrons.
Source: RA Ministry of Internal Affairs, National Archives and National Archives

The International Organ Music Festival was held for the third time


In 2022, the long-standing dream of the founder of the Armenian organ school, the late Vahagn Stamboltsyan, was realized in Armenia. The International Organ Music Festival was organized on the initiative of the National Center for Chamber Music and with the support of the Armenian Chamber Music Society. This year, the festival is being held for the third time. It kicked off on September 24 with a concert dedicated to Komitas. From September to December, the best masters of organ art perform in Armenia. Art critic Anahit Margaryan spoke with Armen Sukiasyan, artistic director of the International Organ Music Festival and deputy director of the National Center for Chamber Music, about the festival and organ art in “Artfocus”.

Avetik Isahakyan's loves and romance


When talking about Avetik Isahakyan's love poetry, the image of the poet's youthful love, Shushanik, is traditionally emphasized, but there were other sources of inspiration in Isahakyan's life as well. Isahakyan's large-scale letters, especially published in recent years, provide an opportunity to see more clearly the path from emotion to poetry and the real addressees of those poems. In the framework of the "Parallel Readings" program, literary critics Hayk Hambardzumyan and Arkmenik Nikoghosyan discuss these issues.

Voice and speech in spiritual songs, part 2


Spiritual songs are of a general nature, as they are based on the original texts of the Holy Scriptures and are associated with certain holidays and rituals. In this case, where is their originality, authorial or national uniqueness? How does Armenian express the unity of sound, speech and ritual, what do spiritual songs inspire in the believer or listener, and what means do they use? These questions are discussed in the “Parallel Readings” program by literary critics Hayk Hambardzumyan, Arkmenik Nikoghosyan, and musicologist Arusyak Tamrazyan.

Voice and speech in spiritual songs, part 1


Armenian medieval spiritual music - hymns, spiritual songs, created as components of ritual, are unique prayers, where words and melody, ritual and artistic, authorial and universal are combined. How did our hymn writers achieve such a striking harmony? Literary critics Hayk Hambardzumyan, Arkmenik Nikoghosyan, and musicologist Arusyak Tamrazyan discuss these issues in the program "Parallel Readings".

The charm of the Hamastegh's prose


Hamastegh's literature is one of those exceptional works that was warmly received both in the Diaspora and in Soviet Armenia. And the reason for this was absolutely not that Hamastegh's prose did not have any ideological accents that were unacceptable or not native to either side. The secret lies in the depth of his literature, high artistry, and most importantly, a unique, sometimes inexplicable charm. Literary critics Hayk Hambardzumyan and Arkmenik Nikoghosyan talk about the writer's prose in the "Parallel Readings" program.

Aram Avetisyan


Aram Avetisyan lost both legs in 44 days. Now he moves around with prostheses. Aram is from the village of Achajur, grew up in a military family, all the men in the family - his father and four brothers - are military. After losing both legs, Aram is trying to live a full life. He and his friends modified and adapted the car for him. He can no longer serve in the military, but he works in a car workshop.

Jansem: The Master of the Live Line


This year marks the 105th anniversary of the birth of Jean Jansem, one of the outstanding figures of French modern art. The National Gallery of Armenia presented a large-scale exhibition entitled “Jansem: Master of the Living Line,” which includes more than 120 works by Jansem. The exhibition and Jansem’s art were discussed at “Artfocus” by the curators of the exhibition: Vigen Galstyan, head of the exhibition department of the National Gallery, and Nune Tadevosyan, head of the graphics department of the National Gallery.

Literature in one minute


Times are changing, technologies are developing, even artificial intelligence is creating. Reader expectations are changing, the ways literature is presented and popularized are changing. How do literary critics respond to all this, how is it possible to present literature in one minute? Literary critics Hayk Hambardzumyan, Arkmenik Nikoghosyan, and writer and literary critic Jessah are interviewed on the “Parallel Readings” program.